Dry ore concentrator



y 1930. J. P. NEWMAN ET AL 1,757,810

DRY ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Feb. 18, 1926 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- DRY ORE CONCENTBATOR Application filed February 18, 1928. Serial No. 89,169.

Our invention relates to the class of devices that are employed for separatingore from other material, and an object of our mvention, among others, is the production of an apparatus of this kind that shall be s1mple 1n construction and particularly efiiclent 1n the results produced by its use.

One form of apparatus embodylng our 1nvention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is llustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, 1n wh1ch- Figure 1 is a top view of an ore separator embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevatlon of the same the motor being omitted.

Figure 3 is a view in section of the tray or table on a plane denoted by the dotted lme 3-3 of Figure 2,looking in the directlon of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view of the overbalanclng weight as seen from the dotted line 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking in direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the plain form of table.

An ore separator embodying our invention is especially adapted for the separatlon or concentration of ore by what is known as the dry process, our invention contemplating an a paratus that in operation Wlll separate the l iner material, including the ore, from the coarser material and cause the latter material to travel in one direction and the former material in an opposite direction. The ore is afterward separated from the associated material by a similar process in a manner to be hereinafter described.

In carrying our invention into effect we provide a table or pan or tray 5 that is sup ported in an inclined POSltlOIl' so that it Wlll have movement in various directions imparted to it, these movements being of such a nature that the coarser material, as gravel and sand, will travel down the incline and be discharged from the end 6, while the finer par ticles, as fine sand, dust and ore, will travel up the incline and be discharged from the end 7', the ore particles remaining with the 60 finer sand particles. Various ways for accomplishing this result may be employed, a satisfactory method being shown herein in which the table 5 is supported at each of its four corners by a pair of springs, each pair consisting of a spring 8 projecting upwardly and a spring 9 projecting downwardly. These springs are each secured at one end to a corner of the table and at its opposite end to a supporting post 10, of which posts there are preferably four.

The table is provided on its under side with brackets 14 and 15 which support for rotation an overbalanced weight 16 which is positioned and rotated at a determined angle with respect to the table or tray 5. This weight is in fact eccentrically mounted and is rotated by a motor 17 by means of a preferably flexible shaft 18. The bottom of the table is provided with longitudinal ribs 19 for the purpose of forming grooves which prevent the material from moving sideways on the table and which cause the finer sand, dust and ore especially to travel in streams lengthwise of the table and upwardly thereon, the table being disposed at a proper angle to effect this result.

The rotation of the eccentrically mounted weight 16 will cause the table or pan to be agitated in a roundabout and up and down movement and in a manner to cause the coarser material, as sand and gravel, to travel down the incline and the finer particles, as sand and dust mixed with the ore, to travel up the incline, the grooves 20 between the ribs 19 causing the finer sand and dust to form a mass or stream of the same, which carries with it the ore, as hereinbefore described.

The concentrates, after this operation, consist of the finer sand and dust together with the ore. In order to now separatethe ore from the finer sand and dust, a table, mounted and arranged in a similar manner, but without the grooves or ribs, is provided and the agitating of the table in this case causes the finer sand and dust to travel up the incline and the heavier ore to travel down the incline, thuls separating the ore from the other materia It will be noted that the weight 16 rotates that is the axis of the shaft of said weight is not perpendicular or at right angles to the plane of the table. The centrifugal forces caused by the weight in its rotation therefore effect a movement of the table in various directions, such movements being compound movements and whereby the efiects herein described are produced, that is, the coarser materials travel in one direction and the finer particles, as fine sand and dust, travel in an opposite direction.

The degree or angle of disposition of the axis of said shaft to the plane of the bottom of the an may vary as conditions may impose. n a satisfactory form of the apparatus the angle of disposition of the axis of said shaft is less than ninety degrees with respect to the upper or higher end of the table, this causing the table to have an upand-down movement as the weight rotates, and it has been found thata disposition of the axis of said shaft at an angle of substantially eighty degrees as to the upper end of the table will produce satisfactory results with the same material. This enables us to get a pitching motion of the table to cause the fine dust to travel up the incline, the

total vertical movement of the table in many cases being not over an eighth of an inch and more approximately a sixteenth of an inch, but this angular disposition as above stated may be varied to suit conditions that may be imposed by material being operated upon.

In order to effect a movement of the ore with the finer particles of sand or dust, the grooves are provided in order to obtain volume enough of said finer particles to carry the ore along with it.

In accordance .with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

We claim-- 1. An ore concentrator comprising a 10ngitudinally grooved table, springs connected with the corners of said table to resiliently support it, and means for imparting a vibrating movement to said table to cause the finer material with the ore concentrates to travel in an upward direction and be discharged from the upper end of the table and the coarser graveland sand material to travel in an opposite direction and be discharged from the lower opposite end of the table, said means including an overbalanced weight having its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the bottom of said table.

2. An ore concentrator comprising a longitudinally grooved table supported in an inclined position, springs connected with the corners of said table to resiliently support it, said spring being arranged to allow vibration in all directions, and means for imparting a vibrating movement to said table to cause the finer material with the concentrates to travel in the bottom of the grooves in one direction and be discharged from one end of the table and the coarser sand and gravel material to travel in an opposite direction and be discharged from the lower opposite end of the table, said means including an overbalanced weight having its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the bottom of said table.

3. An ore concentrator comprising a table,

supports, springs arranged in pairs extending in diverging directions from each corner of the table to said supports to resiliently support said table in all directions, and means operatively connected to the table so as to permit movement of the latter in all directions for imparting a vibrating movement to said table, said means including an overbalanced weight having its axisdisposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the bottom of said table. 4. An ore concentrator comprising supports, a table suspended from said supports by means of springs to permit movement of the table in various transverse directions, an overbalanced weight rotatably supported by said table with its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the table to impart vibratory movement thereto in various directions to cause material to travel in opposite directions on said table, and means for rotating said weight.

5. An ore concentrator comprising a table, supports therefor to permit movement of the table in various transverse directions, springs connecting said table with said supports, said table being arranged in an inclined position, an overbalanced weight supported by said table with its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the table to impart vibratory movement thereto to cause material to travel in opposite directions thereon, and means for rotating said weight.

6. An ore concentrator comprising a table, supports therefor, springs arranged in pairs, the members of each pair extending divergently to connect the corners of said table with said supports to resiliently hold the table against movement in any direction, an overbalanced weight rotatably supported by said table with its axis disposed in an inclined osition with respect to the plane of the ta 1e to impart vibratory movement thereto in various directions, and means for rotating said weight.

7. An ore concentrator comprising a table, supports therefor, springs extending in divergent directions from each corner of the 4 to the plane of the bottom of said table, and.

table to said supports to resiliently hold the table against movement in any direction, said table being arranged in an inclined position, an over-balanced weight rotatabl; supported by said table with its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the table to impart vibratory movement thereto in various directions to cause material to travel in opposite directions thereon, and means for rotating said weight.

8. An ore concentrator comprising a table, means for supporting the table for movement in various directions, an overbalanced weight supported by said table and having its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect means for rotating said weight.

9. An ore concentrator comprising a table supported in an inclined position, means to permit movement of said table in various directions, an overbalanced weight supported by said table and having its axis disposed in an inclined position with respect to the plane of the bottom of the table, and means for rotating said weight.

10. An ore concentrator comprising a table supported in an inclined position, means for permitting movement of the table in various directions, an overbalanced weight supported by said table and having its axis inclined at an angle less that ninety degrees with the plane of the bottom of the upper end of the table, and means for rotatin the wei ht.

JOHN NE N. VICTOR THOMAS. 

